Lankans ready to make Boxing Day history

Greg Buckle

Mahela Jayawardene has achieved many firsts in his career including becoming the only Sri Lankan player to reach the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket.

But the skipper knows that from a team point of view there's a massive carrot dangling in front of his side in the upcoming Melbourne and Sydney Tests.

Sri Lanka's best Test results on Australian soil have been two draws and nine defeats, including last week's 137-run loss in the first Test in Hobart.

Jayawardene says the Hobart pitch was difficult for batting on day five but with spinner Rangana Herath expected to find more suitable conditions in the next two matches and veteran batsman Kumar Sangakkara only 40 runs short of joining Jayawardene in the exclusive 10,000-club, the tourists have been in high spirits this week.

Advertisement

"We've always had a great support in Melbourne and Sydney," Jayawardene said.

"We've always cherished that and it gives us an extra bit of momentum towards the game."

Jayawardene says winning a Test in this current three-match series would mean a lot.

"I've been a part of a lot of good teams and good performances so if we do that, it won't be for me personally but for the entire team and for the entire country it would be something good and it would be for the next generation to look at," he said.

Jayawardene says Sangakkara's focus will be on the team.

"But on the other hand everyone will be rooting for him to get to that milestone in this Test match," the skipper said.

"Knowing Kumar he'll be just going about his business."

Jayawardene said pace bowler Nuwan Kulasekara would need to prove his fitness after being troubled by a knock to the ribs while batting in Hobart.

"We want to give him another chance to bowl today and see whether he's 100 per cent and we'll make a call on that probably tomorrow morning," Jayawardene said.

"The one to come would be (medium-pacer) Dhammika Prasad if he's not 100 per cent.

"We're quite confident with the bowlers that we have here."

But Jayawardene says the team's imposing batting lineup is the key to their hopes of victory.